Among the glitz, glamor, hilarious speeches, and meme-worthy antics at this year's Golden Globes were some not-so-appropriate moments.
Eddie Murphy made audiences chuckle after stating that keeping Will Smith's wife's name out of his mouth was part of his "definitive blueprint" to success in the industry, while Michelle Yeoh shared a heartwarming speech during her win for best actress in Everything, Everywhere All At Once.
Joining the group of winners, however, was 35-year-old Evan Peters - who took home a coveted Golden Globe for his role as Jeffrey Dahmer in the hugely popular Netflix series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which centered on the life of the notorious serial killer and sex offender.
While the series was a success on the platform, concerns had previously been raised by the surviving family members of the serial killer's victims about the show glamorizing the horrifying true-life events.
Dahmer was responsible for the deaths of seventeen young men and boys - who were predominantly queer people of color - between 1978 to 1991. He was accused of dismembering them and preserving many of their body parts, with one of his victims as young as 14. Several neighbors had made calls to the police about Dahmer's behavior, but this largely fell on deaf ears given that he resided in a majority-Black neighborhood.
At the time of the show's release, many people were critical - saying that the series both glorified and romanticized serial killers.
"The worst part of these multiple romanticized depictions of Jeffrey Dahmer is they present him as a mastermind. When really Dahmer was allowed to drug, rape, kill, and eat countless black men despite multiple calls to police because they were homophobic and racist," one person wrote on Twitter.
Another user called out the show for exploiting the deaths of gay men, adding: "there is nothing cute or handsome about Jeffrey Dahmer. i instinctively knew when Ryan Murphy was attached to the project, it was going to be romanticized because that is what he does. exploiting the death of gay men is on brand for him."
"the psychology behind criminals, such as [Ted] bundy and dahmer, is fascinating and worth a look into why they commit the awful acts. BUT they should !never! be romanticized or victimized! what these people did is disgusting and they do not deserve a fan base. it’s repulsive [sic]," a further person chimed in.
Peters' win definitely affected many people watching the ceremony at home. "Does no one else think it's weird Evan Peters won an award for playing Jeffrey Dahmer…?? This is what I mean when I say serial killers are romanticized," one tweet read.
Among those sharing their disdain for the win was Shirley, the mother of one of Dahmer's victims, Tony Hughes. Viewers of the series will remember that, while Hughes was deaf, he was an aspiring model.
Following his portrayal in the show, Shirley stated that she disapproved of the show using her son's likeness and story. "I don't see how they can do that. I don't see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there," she said, via Screen Rant.
Now, she's reportedly spoken out about Peters' win, stating (via TMZ): "There's a lot of sick people around the world, and people winning acting roles from playing killers keeps the obsession going and this makes sick people thrive on the fame.
"It's a shame that people can take our tragedy and make money. The victims never saw a cent. We go through these emotions every day."
Shirley also added that Peters should have used his acceptance speech to pay tribute to the victims and their families - which the actor did not mention - and that Hollywood should put an end to glorifying killers.